Attachment fob



Oct. 21 1924. 1,512,766

E. HOUDLETT ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE BANJO TYPE ,Filed Jan. 21, 1922 F i g. 2. a

lam/Ton Emil Houdlefi BYg 26 w nronnfrs.

Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

1,512,766 PATENT omen m'vn'n HOU-DLETT, or BROOKLYN, new mail.

antennas non lesion, INSTRUMENTS on THE mm mm Application filed January '21, 1522. serial lio. 536,970.

To-olhelz vmjitjmag/ cjoncem: a.

: e it known that 1, limit Housman, citizen ,o'f the Un S ates, residing Br om-yam the'county of Kings and State oi N w yerk have invented certain new ll f lLlmP1 Y9m i 3 Atta hm fq tni ieal- Instruments of the Banjo Type; and Ido hereby5leclare the followingto be a u11;, ;q1ea1 nd eigjac't description (if the invention, such as will enable others skilled the art to which it appertains to make and use'thesame.

7 inyention while broadly applicable tqmu ica1 insn un1ents of one type or an other, is designed and illustrated more part'icij'll'arl'y with reference to a banjo either of rhe tan rd or p'qpiil'ar type,

Th :qbiect o the, inv n i n r :m 2pmviiie a b an o or 's1m 1la r musical lnstlftlinent h i a 1 6 111 1 pass P si g p rd y b p' l m an for temming. t e b t screw securing the head utflghteninghg lso' mounting said support; to utilize the support as a washer for said-screw; to provide for increased resonancein an instrument of this character; to this end to provide a back for the instrument; to permit the back to be removed readily at will; to secure simplicity of construction and assembly; to obtain rigidity, compactness, neatness, improved tone, and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a plan or face view of a banjo embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the edge of the same showing one of the supports, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the supports.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawing, the reference numeral 1 indicates the rim of the banjo which is shown as cylindrical and preferably made of wood, forming the base a or body upon which the rest of the banjo is built. It is important both for strength and for obtaining the best musical tone of the instrument that thisrimb uniiormand not notched orcutoat around its edge. ,,I accordingly provide a sup art '2, com rising one-of the features of. vt epre'sen'tin'veii: tion, which has transverse portion 3 adapted to engage ,flatwise upon the upper edge ofthe rim 1, extending across 'th'elsanic in a radial direction. T heoil'te'i' ,p'artof .the support beyond the portion 3 is bent down wardly to provide. a depending portion 4 which ill engage, at the "ideof theriin. and whieh is bentjoatwa rdly, at its 1owei: end to provide. a hook 5. ,At .thejnnmside .of the rim 1 the support i'sheht downwardly from the ,portion3,ja's atf 6, and is thenbelit inwardly again, as, at 7, thus providing an offsetshoulder upon. which the resonating ring may be ounted ,in the assembled inst'rumeil't. The material com rising .Ithe ppo t is ain b'entidownwartll inward from the enc of the, shoulder an brought into eng'agementwith the tuners "iffa'cebf the rim so that the lower portion 8 of the support mayije'st flatwis against sa'id rim. The support thus ,fo -m'edmay be slipped onto the rim so that the dependin portions 4 and 8 are upon opposite sides thereof and prevenflmovement of the sup, ort in a radial direction withrespect to -[1e rim.

Preferably the'inneide ending ortion '8 is somewhat longer than the outer depending portion 4, and terminates in an eye 9 which will act as a washer for the screw 10 inserted therethrough after the support is in place. As shown, the screw 10 is inserted from the inner side of the rim, projecting out through the same and screwing into the bracket 11 which acts both as a nut for the screw and also asa lug for a suitable head tightening device.

It is to be understood that the supports 2 are distributed at spaced intervals around the rim, as indicated in Figure 1, and after the same have been positioned and secured,

a band 12 is slid into place around the rim tightening means heretofore referred to and which is shown" in the present instance as comprising a hooked rod 15 the lower end of which paxes through the bracket 11 and is screw threaded for receiving a suitable thumb nut 16 below the bracket. It will be observed that by this construction I obtain a very solid construction but at the same time simple and inexpensive'to manufacture.

It is also to be observed that by the construction disclosed the support 2 permits the ring to be mounted in spaced relation from the rim thus allowing the air and tone waves to pass therebetween. Likewise, there is a space between the band '12 and the rim '1 allowing passage of the air and tone waves to the outside of the instrument, thereby greatly increasing the volume and resonance have shown snap fasteners 18, although other means may be employed as found desirable. Furthermore, I have shown the backspaced slightly from the rim in order to leave a sound passage 19 therebetween, but

it is to be understood that this may be varied as found desirable in the manufacture of this or similar instruments. 7

claim: V V

1. A U-shaped bracket attachment for banjos or the like having an eye at the end Having thus 7 described, my invention I of one leg and a hook atthe end of the other leg, with means intermediate the legs to engage the banjo rim and to support the banjo ring. j

2. In a musical instrument of the banjo type having a rim, an inner ring and an outer bracing said rim each with one leg upon the rim, with means on one leg for mounting the inner ring and means on the other leg for mounting the outer band. 4

3. In a musical instrument of the banjo type having a rim, a ring of less diameter 1 than said rim and a band of greater diameter,-

a support having an eye at oneend for securmg the same within and to the rim and having a shoulder for supporting the ring, said support being bent so as to project over the band, a plurality of U-shaped supports, eminside and one leg upon theroutside of said edge of the rim and against the outside of'the 7 same and having a hook at its outer end for supporting the band. 3

4. In a musical instrumentof the'banjo: type, haVll'lglit flm a ring of less diameter than said rim and a bandof greater diameter, a support having an eye at one 'end for securing the same Within and to the rim and having a shoulder for supporting'the ring, said support being bent soas to project over the edge oftherim and against the outside of the same and having a hook at its outer end for supporting the bandwhereby the band and the ring 9 are spaced from the rim and sound may pass from the interior of the instrument over the edge of the rim and be-' tween the ring and band.

' In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

EMIL HOUDLETT; 

